LAHORE: The Punjab government on Monday launched Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement Secretariat in the planning and development department with an aim to improve the nutrition status of the province’s population, especially of children and women.

The secretariat was launched with the support of Micronutrient Initiative (MI) to address the growing challenge of malnutrition among children.

The participants in the ceremony were given a detailed presentation about the deteriorating state of nutrition at all levels, besides suggestions to overcome the problem.

As per the presentation, currently Pakistan is facing a “silent crisis of malnutrition” that is amongst the worst in the world and the situation had not improved for decades.

Results from the 2011 National Nutrition Survey (NNS) indicated minimal change over the last decade in terms of core maternal and childhood nutrition indicators in the country.

Among children under five years of age, 43.7 percent were stunted (no growth in height) as compared to 41.6pc in 2001; 15.1pc were wasted (no growth in both weight, height) compared to 14.3pc in 2001 and 31.5pc were underweight compared to 42pc in 2001.

Similarly, Vitamin A status had also deteriorated and there had been little or no improvement in other micro-nutrients e.g. there is iron deficiency anemia among 61.9pc, Zinc deficiency 39.2pc and 40pc suffered from Vitamin D deficiency.

The only success story has been iodine status which improved nationally, according to the survey. Currently, 69.1pc of the households are using iodized salt as compared to only 17pc in 2001.

Punjab Labour and Human Resource Minister Raja Ashfaq Sarwar, speaking on the occasion, said nutrition had always been an ignored and less addressed subject.

He said the nutrition issue had been merged with the health in the last few decades despite the fact it had an independent entity, resulting in decrease in an allover decline in all nutrition indicators.

The minister suggested a SUN parliamentary network must also be created, saying the proposed forum should be informed about any updated on nutrition indicators and related statistics through workshops and meetings.

He reiterated that Fortification Initiatives, SUN Movement and Multi-sectoral Nutrition Strategy would play a vital role in improving the nutrition situation in the province.

Khawaja Imran Nazir, Parliamentary Secretary for Health, pledged his full support for any legislation to be introduced for mandatory food fortification programmes in Punjab to benefit the poorest of the poor in the province.

Dr Tausif Akhtar Janjua, the country director of the Micronutrient Initiative, highlighted the role of MI in addressing malnutrition in the country. He briefed the participants about the positive impact of universal salt iodisation, Vitamin A supplementation and upcoming project of wheat flour fortification.

He said in Pakistan 45pc of the children were stunted which was the third highest percentage in the world.

Three types -- iron, iodine and protein energy -- of malnutrition were responsible for 3-4pc of GDP loss in Pakistan in any given year, Mr Janjua said, adding , or (SUN), was a unique movement based on the principle that all people had a right to food and good nutrition.

“It unites people from governments, civil society, the United Nations, donors, businesses and researchers in a collective effort to improve nutrition.”

Aslam Shaheen, the chief nutrition, Planning Commission of Pakistan/ SUN Government Focal Point, elaborated the objectives of the movement and the improvement in nutrition indicators it had brought in different countries.

Published in Dawn, January 19th, 2016